Machine for separating packs of tin plates



No. 609,645. Patented Aug. 23, I898.

F. WESTWOOD.

MACHINE FOR SEPARATING PACKS 0F TIN PLATES.

(Application filed Feb. 24, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets -Sheet L W '172 e jfivento'r, a 6'8 '8 fill/Ix 776M006.

No. 609,645. Patented-Aug. 23, I898. F. WESTWDOD.

MACHINE FOR SEPARATING PACKS 0F TIN PLATES.

' (Applicatian filed Feb..24, 1898.)

(No Model.) 2 sheets-Sheet 2.

fiznenzar.

NITEDI STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FELIX WESTVVOOD, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.

MACHINE FOR SEPARATING PACKS OF TIN PLATES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 609,645, dated August 23, 1898.

Application filed February 24, 1893- Serial No. 671,583. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that LFELIX Wnsrwoona citizen of the United States, residing at Wheeling, in the county of Ohio and State of West Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Separating Packs of Tin Plates, of which the following is a specification.

The chief object of my invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus or machine for positively andrapidly separating the several sheets composing packages of sheet-metal plates, such as laminated or superimposed tin plates, after the sheets have been treated in the usual way and formed into packages, each comprising eight sheets, more or less,which are in close contact and more or less difficult to separate.

The invention also has for its object to provide a new and improved apparatus or machine for separating the several sheets composing packages of sheet metal without the necessity of forming numerous closely-arranged transverse corrugations thereimwhich are difficult to subsequently remove and render it necessary to roll or stretch the plates to remove the corrugations, which'is objectionable. Y

The objects of my invention are accomplished in the manner and by the means hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view of an apparatus or machine constructed in accordance with my invention, the plane of section being on the line 1 1, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a broken side elevation of the apparatus or machine. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional View taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail vertical sectional View taken on the line 4. 4, Fig- 1; and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of one of the trough-shaped guides for introducing the package of sheetmetal plates into or removing it from the apparatus or machine.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, wl1erein-- The numeral 5 indicates a bed-plate or foundation of any desired construction or mate- -bolted to the bed-plate or foundation.

rial, such as metal, stone, or brickwork. At a suitable distance above the bed-plate or foundation is arranged a supporting-framework comprising, as here shown, two parallel beams 6. (Best seen in Fig. 3.) The inner adjacent edges of these beams are rabbeted to provide horizontal guideways 7 to guide parallel reciprocatory bars 8, which serve to support the upper ends of two pillars 9,which at their lower ends are supported by two similar parallel reciprocatory bars 10, movable in longitudinal parallel guideways 12, provided in or on the bed-plate or foundation 5. The pillars are perpendicular and are arranged some distance apart. They are represented in the form of hollow cylinders; but they may be solid and of any shape in cross-section suitable for the purposes in hand,which will hereinafter appear. The upper and lower pairs of reciprocatory bars 8 and 10 are connected together at one end through the medium of vertical connecting-beams 13, bolted at their upper and lower ends to the bars or otherwise rigidly connected therewith. The vertical beams 13 carry a horizontal shaft 14, which is embraced by bearing-blocks 15 in the head 16 of a pitman or connecting-rod 17. The bearing-blocks are made spring-yielding through themedium of spiral or other sprin gs 1 8, Fig. 2, for a purpose hereinafter explained.

The pitman or connecting-rod 17 is designed to connect with the crank-shaft of an engine or motor (not shown) for the purpose of reciprocating the upper and lower sets of bars 8 and 10 and correspondingly reciprocating the two pillars 9. The bed-plate and the horizontal beams 6 serve to support two pairs of perpendicular roller-abutments 19 and 20 at each side of the apparatus or machine, as will be clearly understood 'by reference to Fig. 1. The roller-abutments 19 are preferably of a greater diameter than the rollerabutments 20, and the roller-abutments of each pair are arranged a sufficient distance apart to receive between them the package of sheet-metal plates. The package is introduced at either side of the apparatus or machine through the medium of a trough-shaped guide 21, preferably of the general form illustrated in Fig. 5,which enables it to be firmly The package may be introduced at one side through the medium of one of the troughshaped guides and removed at the opposite side through the medium of the other troughshaped guide.

The package of sheet-metal plates is introduced laterally into the apparatus or machine, so that one end portion thereof lies between the two pairs of roller-abutments 19 and 20 at one side of the apparatus or machine, while the other end portion lies between the two pairs of roller-abutments at the opposite side of the apparatus or machine. The intermediate portion of the package, or that por tion between the two pairs of roller-abutments 19, is designed to be worked back and forth by the action of the perpendicular pillars 9,When they are reciprocated by the pitman or connecting-rod 17 and the horizontal reciprocatory bars 8 and 10. As the perpendicular pillars are reciprocated they work the package of sheet-metal plates back and forth, and at the same time the end portions of the package are worked back and forth through the medium of the roller-abutments 19 and 20. The undulations formed in the package by working it back and forth, as above described, are of considerable magnitude, and in this way I avoid forming in the several plates of a package numerous closely-arranged corrugations,which are objectionable in that they are difficult to remove and require that the package should be rolled or stretched to remove such corrugations.

The spring-yielding connection of the pitman or rod 17 with the cross-shaft 14 of the vertical beams 13 eases the action of the perpendicular pillars on the package of plates as the latter is being worked back and forth. This is desirable in that when the package is first introduced and at the beginning of the operation it is what may be termed harsh, or is somewhat dificult to bend, andlit is desirable to have a spring-yield of the drivingpitman at this time to avoid breakage of parts or injury to the package.

In practice several of the apparatuses or machines represented in the drawings may be arranged tandem and the reciprocatory bars connected, so that all the pillars of the several apparatuses or machines will be reciprocated in unison. l

The apparatus or machine may be constructed entirely of metal or wood or partly of metal and partly of wood.

The working of the package back and forth through the medium of perpendicular pillars which are reciprocated effectually separates the several sheet-metal plates of the package, and therefore I avoid the manual separation of the plates.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is- 1. An apparatus for separating metal plates ,consisting of oppositely-arranged pairs of abutments for the end portions of the plates, reciprocatory pillars acting on the plates between said abutments, and means for reciprocating said pillars, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. An apparatus for separating metal plates,consistin g of oppositely-arranged abutments for the ends of the plates, reciprocatory guided bars moving between the oppositely-arranged abutments, pillars carried by said reciprocatory bars to act upon the plates between said opposite abutments, and means for operating said bars, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. An apparatus for separating metal plates, consisting of abutments for the end portions of the plates, reciprocatory pillars acting on the plates between said abutments, and a spring-yielding pitman for reciprocating said pillars, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. An apparatus for separating metal plates,consisting of oppositely-arranged abutments for the ends of the plates, reciprocatory, guided bars moving between the oppositely-arranged abutments, pillars carried by said reciprocatory bars to act upon the plates between said opposite abutments, and a spring-yielding pitman connected with the reciprocatory bars for operating the same, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. An apparatus for separating metal plates, consisting of a bed-plate or foundation, pairs of roller-abutments located at opposite sides of the bed-plate or foundation, reciprocatory, guided bars moving between the oppositely-arranged roller-abutments,pillars carried by said bars to act upon the metal plates between the opposite roller-abutments, and means for reciprocating the bars, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. An apparatus for separating metal plates, consisting of a bed-plate or foundation, pairs of roller-abutments located at opposite sides of the bed-plate or foundation, reciprocatory, guided bars moving between the oppositely-arranged roller-abutm ents,pillars carried by said bars to act upon the metal plates between the opposite roller-abutments, and a spring-yielding pitman for reciprocating said bars, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FELIX WESTWOOD.

NVitnesses:

ALBERT I-I. NORRIS, PHILIP N. TILDEN.

ICO 

